Loevinger (before)
Loevinger (after)
This week ten of our historic judges came back from the much-needed R and R (restoration and repair) sabbatical they took in September. All of us at the Law Library are amazed and impressed by the excellent work done by Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis. As you recall from this post, the library received a Legacy Grant which made this excellent work possible. Our Legacy Grant was financed with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
The restoration work that was done to the portraits did much in the way of smoothing wrinkles and impurities that were present in the canvasses, as well as restoring the vivid colors and details. Much “dirt/grime” had also been removed from all of the canvass surfaces. (Smoking used to be permitted in the Law Library. Similar to the way medical experts warn us, secondhand smoke had also taken a toll on the health and appearances of the portraits.) As an example of the excellent work that was done, consider the before and after shots of Judge Loevinger. The hole in his coat has been repaired, and the entire canvass has been treated to eliminate glare and bumps, illuminating the rich purple of Loevinger’s tie. Also consider how Judge Palmer’s canvass has now been, shall we way…moisturized(?), thus alleviating the severe brittleness and wrinkling that developed over time. (Note: The Law Librarian apologizes for any differences in these thumbnails which may be due to lighting and photo exposures.)
Palmer (before)
Palmer (after)
So stop into the Ramsey County Law Library to help welcome our distinguished gentlemen back home.
